When can we travel on the big island ?

It is possible to travel in Madagascar all seasons if you know the kind of climate that you will across. Madagascar has varied climatic condition, according to the region, the season and the altitude. In the biggest part of the country, we have two seasons : the dry season (April to October) and the rainy season (November to march).

• Travelling in rainy season, is a fantastic experience because the nature is extraordinary; the countryside’s life is full swing. Often it rains at the end of the day but it's hot.
• The Mozambican channel coast (west) is bathed of sun and heat.
• Regularly, it rains in the East coast (Indian Ocean), east sides(rainy forest) and the extremity north of the Big Island.
• Located in the Capricorn tropic, the west-south of Madagascar is very arid.
• In the "Hautes terres centrales", during the dry season, the temperature fluctuate of 20°. In Antananarivo, located at 1300 above sea-level, and in the the nocturnal temperature can fall to 0°c in July-August.

In nutshell, you must retain:

In the East coast and in Sainte Marie, the monsoon rain is frequent in June and July. In the "Hautes Terres" the night is fresh. In July-August (austral winter), it's cold. For the camping, you must provide for fleece jacket and down jacket for night in altitude. The cyclone is creating in Indian Ocean between January and March; sometime strike the East coast, the extremity north and rarely the extremity south and the West coast.

"Hautes Terres"

The center of Madagascar is marked between dry season and rainy season. The heat is tempered by altitude in dry season. The night can be particularly fresh. Many travelers are amazed by the fresher of the evening and the night, in Antananarivo and around, in July and August.

The East of Madagascar and Indian Ocean

The most rainy' region (so the most verdant) of the Big Island. Apart from the rainy season, which make shower in evening, November to March, the rainfall can be heavy between June and the end of August, especially in the Sainte Marie Island. September and October, there are the less rain-soaked.

The Malagasy North

The dry and wet seasons are very different but the rainfalls are less light than the east coast. The wind can be violent around Diego-Suarez between June and October. Nosy Be have rainy marked season.

The West and the Mozambican channel

The dry and wet seasons are marked, but the rain is very limited and the heat is often raised. The rainy season is approximately between November and February.

The South and the Extreme South

Semi-arid climate: the rainfall is faint and the dry season is long and scorching. The light rain strike during some short week between December and January.